Girdle



June 16, 1953 R. GRECO 2,641,762

GIRDLE Filed Jan. 22, 1952 l2 7 I2 17 E- 1.773 a 17 5 151 .5.

INVE N TOR.

74 reco ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1953 GIRDLE Ralph Green, New York, N. Y., assignor to Vanity Corset Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 22, 1952, Serial No. 267,658

2 Claims.

This invention relates to girdles, and the pri mary object of the invention is to provide a garment. of this character so constructed that the same will firmly but comfortably support the portions of the body which it embraces in a manner to lend pleasing contour to the body without the imposition of uncomfortable pressure.

It is another object of the invention to provide, in a garment of this character, a central, frontal oval-shaped panel tending to provide restraint upon a bulging abdomen, with firmness yet with comfortable pressure. It is still another object of the invention to provide expansible panel portions in various locations of the garment and which panel portions will be so positioned and shaped as to control the tendency of parts of the body to expand and thus lend unleasing conformation to the body and particularly around the abdomen and hip portions thereof.

These and numerous other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter appear and be set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a girdle constructed in accordance with the invention;

. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, I indicates the central, frontal, substantially ovalshaped panel which overlies the abdomen of the wearer when the garment is in position of wear. This panel I is preferably composed of at least one, and possibly two or more, thicknesses of elastic or expansible fabric and which is relatively inexpansible in a transverse or horizontal direction and expansible vertically or axially of the garment.

The oval shaped panel I has its upper end or pointed terminal 2 located a short distance below the upper edge 3 of the garment. Similarly the lower end 4 of the oval panel I is located a short distance above the lower edge 5 of the garment.

The oval panel I is completely surrounded by an area 6 of strip formation that is composed of a fabric material in one or more plies and which has a slight vertical expansibility but of relatively no lateral or horizontal stretch. To each side of the oval panel I on the front of the garment is located an expansible panel, one of these panels being indicated at I and the second and similar panel being indicated at 8. Each of these panels is provided with a substantially reinforced central area 9 of double thickness, and thus composed of the inner ply I6 and outer ply 1!. This construction is similar to that of the central oval panel I. The outer ply H! is expansible in both vertical and horizontal directions, while the inner ply ll stitched thereto, is expansible only horizontally so that it applies a restraining influence upon the tendency of the outer ply ill to expand horizontally. Located above the area 9- in each of the panels l and 8 is a section [2, which extends to the top of the garment and is thus located at the waist of the wearer, and this section I2 may be of a single-thickness fabric expansible in all directions. Below the reinforced area 9 is located the section I3 which extends to the lower edge of the garment which is also of single thickness and is expansible in all directions. Secured to the lower edges of the panel sections I3 are the dependent straps l4, I5 to which the garter clasps 16 are attached in the conventional manner.

The upper portion 'of the garment at the front may, if desired, be suitably reinforced or stiffened by means of stiffening strips IT extending diagonally downwardly from the top edge 3 of the garment and extending for some distance into the centrally reinforced areas 9 of the two front panels 1 and 8.

At each side of the garment is a side panel I8 which can be composed of inelastic material or it can be composed of material having some slight vertical expansibility. In one of these side panels I8 is provided an opening l9 extending downwardly from the top edge 3 of the garment and terminating for some distance above the lower edge. Such opening I9 may be closed by means of suitable disengageable fastening means, such as the slide fastener 20, or by a combination of a slide fastener and hooks-and-eyes or other" known fastening elements.

Depending from thelower edges of these side panels I8 are the straps 2| which carry the garter clasps 22 in the known manner. The central back panel 23 of the garment is best seen in Fig. 2, and this back panel is preferably composed of fabric which is expansible vertically but has little or no transverse or horizontal expansibility. This of the garment to the lower edge 5 thereof. These panels 21 and 28 are each preferably composed of single-thickness elastic or expansible fabric stretchable both vertically and horizontally, or actually expansible in all directions. Straps 30 are secured to the lower edge of the garment at the back of the same for stocking support in cooperation with the other straps previously described.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the garment will be understood. The central oval-shaped panel I, located at the front of the garment provides abdomen-flattening means for restraining abdoment-bulge. The rear panel 23 inexpansible horizontally restrains bulge of the figure at the rear, and the doublereinforced areas 9 at the front, being substantially as broad at the length of the oval panel cooperate therewith in restraining bulge, while the upper and lower portions of the garment being less confining than the parts just described, afford comfort at the waist line and about the thighs.

While I have herein described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A garment of the character described comprising a girdle provided at the front with a pair of spaced elastic panels, said panels being each located to one side of the vertical center line of the garment each of said panels having a central area of limited elasticity, each panel having upper and lower sections of greater elasticity than the central area, a central oval-shaped section in the front of the garment between the panels, said section being secured to a strip-like area having only vertical elasticity, which striplike area has its outer edges secured to edges of the panels the panels having their outer edges joined to side panels, one of the side panels having an opening extending downwardly from the top edge of the, garment and closed by disengageable fastening means, the back of the garment including a pair of elastic inserts extending continuously downwardly from the top edge of the garment to the lower edge thereof, each of said inserts being of vertical and horizontal expansibility, the back of the garment also including a central rear panel located between and attached to said inserts, said central panel having its upper end located below the top edge of the garment, and an elastic section interposed between and secured to the top end of said central rear panel and the upper edge of the garment, said elastic section being expansible in a manner comparable to the expansibility of the elastic inserts in the back of the garment.

2. A garment of the character described comprising a girdle provided at the front with a pair of spaced elastic panels, said panels being each located to one side of the vertical center line of the garment each of said panels having a central tapered area of limited elasticity, each panel having upper and lower sections of greater elasticity than the central area, a central oval-shaped section in the front of the garment between the panels, said oval-shaped section being as long as one edge of the central tapered part of each panel, said section being separated from the panels by a strip-like area having only vertical elasticity, which strip-like area has its outer edges secured to the edges of the panels the panels having their outer edges joined to side panels, one of the side panels having an opening extending downwardly from the top edge of the garment and closed by disengageable fastening means, the back of the garment including a pair of elastic inserts extending continuously downwardly from the top edge of the garment to the lower edge thereof, each of said inserts being of vertical and horizontal expansibility, the back of the garment also including a central rear panel located between and attached to said inserts, said central panel having its upper end located below the top edge of the garment, and an elastic section interposed between the top end of said central rear panel and the upper edge of the garment, said elastic section being expansible in a manner comparable to the expansibility of the elastic inserts in the back of the garment.

RALPH GRECO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,764,894 Rudzinski June 17, 1930 2,014,545 Wipperman Sept. 17, 1935 2,092,900 Wipperman Sept. 14, 1937 2,137,182 Robbins Nov. 15, 1938 2,489,111 Stone Nov. 29, 1949 2,575,460 Niedermann Nov. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 437,255 France Feb. 12, 1912 

